Love Always
by raes
Summary: Sometimes something you never even wanted is just what you needed.
1. Strange Occurrences

Disclaimer: I don't own them I just want to use them. I am not making any money from this. The characters from the show the Pretender belong to TNT and any other organization involved with the Pretender.  
Love Always  
The Centre Parker's Office Wednesday, 9:00am  
  
'Two weeks and nothing. Nothing, they can't schedule a funeral with nothing. No body found, no scrolls. It just seems as if he disappeared. Even in his last moments he couldn't tell me the whole truth. The truth about who I am. No, in his last moments he betrayed me yet again. I will always have to live with the fact that both my parents knew that I would see their deaths and didn't even think once to spare me. Spare me from the nightmares, pain, and guilt. I.'  
  
Shouts and running footsteps outside her door interrupted Miss Parker's thoughts. She jumped up and went to see what all the commotion was about. As she put her hand on the handle a gunshot was fired. Wasting no more time she shoved the door open and stepped out into the hall. The sight that greeted her was a strange one indeed. One that baffled her completely.  
  
~~~~~~~~*~~~~~~~~  
  
The Centre Hallway 9:05am  
  
Lyle stood there with a smoking gun in hand, and about 9 feet in front of him on the ground was a girl. She looked 13 or 14 and had on the centre issue clothing. She was lying on the ground with a bullet wound in her arm. She started to stand, her long wavy brown hair falling in front of her face. She looked to be about 5'0 tall and had this dark Middle Eastern or Arabian complexion to her. Once she was standing she turned her piecing brown eyes to Lyle and gave him a look of contempt that rivaled Miss Parker's. The girl slowly lifted her uninjured arm and put pressure on her wound. Before anyone could say anything she hissed, "Lyle, you son of a bitch."  
  
By this time quite a crowd had gathered and Miss Parker was really confused. While everyone was watching a sweeper snuck up behind the girl and was ready to grab her when she whirled around and punched him with all her might in his jaw. Next thing anyone knew there were two sweepers restraining her and on helping the injured sweeper up.  
  
Miss Parker looked at Lyle and decided that is was time to speak up.  
  
"What the hell is going on here?" She demanded as she stepped out of the doorway of her office. Continued to advance toward Lyle and stopped when she was right next to him. Looking at the girl as she tried to get out of the sweepers hold on her.  
  
"Nothing that concerns you sister dear. This is need to know and.well.you don't." He said smugly while turning his eyes back to the girl.  
  
"Lyle, why don't you tell Miss Parker what is going on here. Why don't you tell her."  
  
Before she could finish the sentence Lyle had walked up the girl and hit her upside the head with the butt of his gun knocking her out. Turning his attention to the sweepers he gave them a look that conveyed exactly what he wanted done.  
  
"Take her back to her room and give her a good reminder on the consequences of disobedience."  
  
With that said he turned on his heel and walked away leaving Miss Parker to wonder what Lyle didn't want her to know.  
*This is my first story. Should I even finish it??? Please review. 


	2. Finding the Mystery Girl

Disclaimer in chapter one.  
  
Love Always  
  
Chapter 2  
Miss Parker looked after Lyle with a look of disgust on her face. 'Shot.he shot a little girl!!!'  
  
With this in mind Miss Parker walked straight over to Broots whom came into the hallway to see what all the commotion was about.  
"Sim Lab, now." Was all Miss Parker barked at him before she herself headed off in that direction.  
  
*****Sim Lab*****  
  
Broots entered and looked at Miss Parker for instruction, only to see that she was talking to Sydney about what she just saw.  
  
"..what do you think he is keeping from me this time?!?"  
  
She asked Sydney in an exasperated tone. It was no secret everyone had heard what the girl had started to say to Miss Parker before Lyle knocked her out. Something was going on. Something that involved Miss Parker and that girl.  
  
"Umm.uh.Miss Parker? What is it you.uhhh.n-n-needed me for?"  
  
Broots interrupted timidly. Miss Parker stopped talking to Sydney and looked over at Broots. He could've sworn for a minute there that she was going to scream at him. But she didn't instead she took a deep breath and said,  
  
"Broots, I need you to find where Lyle is keeping that girl and fast. She knows something. Get me a video feed if you can. I want to see how she is doing. By the looks of it those sweepers were gonna beat the hell out of her.NOW!"  
  
Broots nodded his head and went over to his computer. Miss Parker turned back to Sydney to finish her conversation.  
  
30 minutes later  
  
"I FOUND HER!!!"  
  
Broots yelled and slapped his hands down on the table. It had been hard. Lyle obviously wanted to keep the girl well hidden.  
"About time."  
  
Miss Parker snapped and stormed over to the desk where Broots sat. She peered over his shoulder to get a look at the computer screen. When this happens it always makes Broots nervous and he started to fidget in his seat. He was attempting to think of anything but how close Miss Parker was to him right then.  
  
"..Broots..EARTH TO BROOTS!!!"  
  
He looked up startled and started to berate himself for letting his thoughts carry him away.  
  
"Let me see the video feed."  
  
Miss Parker said to him as Sydney walked up behind them. He also wanted to catch a glimpse of this mystery girl.  
  
"O-o-okay."  
  
Broots stuttered and clicked the link to get the feed up. What came up on the screen was not what one would call a pretty sight. The girl from earlier today was lying on the floor of her cell where it appeared to be where she was just dumped. She looked terrible. She had a bruise on her right that could only have come from a fist, and along her jaw. She had a bloody lip and nose and the other side of her face it looked like she got pistol-whipped. On top of all that they could see that no one had tended to the bullet wound in her shoulder, it was still not bandaged though it looked like the bleeding had stopped. There was a collective gasp made by the three team members when they saw the condition the girl was in.  
"Where is she being kept Broots?"  
  
Miss Parker whispered still trying to regain her cool exterior. Broots clicked a few keys then turned to her and said,  
  
"She is being kept on SL-20 according to this"  
  
She looked at him and back at the screen. Her heart went out to the little girl. No child.no human deserved to be treated that way.  
"I need you to disable the cameras down there loop them or something. I will need 45 minutes to an hour. I will also need a first aid-kit."  
  
Miss Parker looked at Sydney then Broots. Sydney nodded and then headed for the door and Broots turned back to the computer wondering all the while what the heck Miss Parker was going to do. She didn't seem like the type of person who would care about the well being of others. But, Broots knew first hand that that wasn't true. It was just a façade she wore at work. He had seen her with Debbie and her little brother. He saw how she treated Angelo. He also knew that she had gone to bat for him and Sydney more times then was necessary. He knew she cared. He just never thought she would be so obvious as to show this caring side at the Centre. Especially to one of the "lab rats."  
  
Broots looked up as Sydney walked back into the lab caring a first aid kit. Broots quickly tampered with the cameras, and gave Miss Parker the okay. Miss nodded turned to Syd, held her hand out for the kit, took it the left.  
  
***Please Review. I am always open to opinions and advice. Thanks*** 


	3. Discoveries

See Part One for Disclaimer!  
  
Love Always  
Part 3  
  
The Centre Sub-level 20  
  
Parker stood there staring at the door. Now that she was here she didn't know what to do. She didn't even know what she was going to say to this girl whom obviously knew her, but whom she knew nothing about. Deciding to just do what she came down here to do, she inserted her key card into the lock. After the beep that acknowledged her card and bade her entrance she pushed the door open and stepped purposefully into the room.  
  
She took one look at the girl lying on the floor and immediately decided that she had made the correct choice in coming down here. Walking quickly over to the battered form on the floor, she knelt down and began trying to wake 'the girl'. After shaking her a couple of times she finally received the desired result when 'the girl's' eyes began to flutter and she emitted a small moan. When her eyes finally opened fully and she had a chance to take in her surroundings they widened in shock at see Miss. Parker.  
  
"Umm…if you don't mind my asking what are you doing down here?" 'The girl' asked with confusion evident in her voice as she tried to figure out what was going on.  
  
"Why don't we start with names, okay. And then I might answer some of your questions." Miss Parker said patronizingly. She needed to know what to call this girl and she needed to find out what Lyle was keeping from her.  
  
"I know who you are Miss. Parker…and if you must know my name is Mandy, Mandy Lee. I hate it and ask that you don't use it. I prefer to go by Miss. Hall. Now that we have dispensed with the pleasantries please tell me that that is a first aid kit you are holding. I could really use some aspirin right about now.  
  
"Oh, yes. I have a couple of questions for you. More like a million but I think maybe we should get you patched up first." Miss Parker said this in an authoritative tone that she did not actually posses. This girl spoke to her as if they were equals. This girl…Mandy spoke as if she was an adult. Miss. Parker was not used to hearing that tone spoken by children in fact the only other time she had her it spoken by a child was when she used to spend her childhood days with Jarod. It wasn't an adult tone; it was the tone of a pretender!  
  
Mandy looked expectantly at Miss. Parker while holding her hand out for the first aid kit. Miss. Parker handed it over to her and then while scooting closer so she would be able to assist Mandy in cleaning herself up.  
  
"First thing first. I think we should get that bullet wound cleaned and covered. Then we should do your face. Is there anything else that I can't see?" Miss Parker asked while reaching for the peroxide and gauze.  
  
"Nope, there is nothing else…today." Mandy said darkly as she popped 3 aspirin and swallowed them dry. After Parker made sure that the bullet went straight through and there wouldn't be any permanent damage if treated correctly she cleaned and bandaged the wound. With that done Parker sighed and looked up at Mandy. She was looking at her with trusting eyes. She had beautiful brown eyes and a gorgeous face under all the blood and bruises.  
  
"I am sorry to say it is time to tend to your face. This is going to hurt like hell." This was all Parker said before applied that anti-septic to her cuts.  
  
"Shit!!" Mandy hissed and dug her nails into her hands. Cleaning her face as quickly as possible and applying a bandage to her cheekbone from where she had been pistol-whipped all ended up being a simple task. After her initial outburst Mandy had not said another word nor flinched once. Now that she was done she turned to Mandy intent on asking her a question or two.  
  
"Now we can talk but first lets get you off this floor and onto the bed." Parker said as she rose and offered her hand to Mandy. Mandy looked at the hand, looked at Miss. Parker, looked at the bed and then got herself up without assistance. She slowly walked over to the bed and then sank down onto it. Sighing in relief.  
  
Mandy looked up at Parker then and with a look so far different from the ones she had been regarding with so far. It was a look of fear, pain, and guilt.  
  
"Before you even start to ask your questions I can answer some of them. You have already figured this out so I might as well tell you. Yes I am a pretender. Not just any pretender, but a new age one. I am a new breed so to speak there is none like me. I will tell you more about this later. Now, it may come as a shock to you but I have not spent my whole life in the Centre. I escaped once when I was 10. But now I am back. It is a really long story. I will tell you more sometime, it is not important right now. What is important, what you want to know it what Lyle is keeping from you. What everyone is keeping from you. Before I tell you I am going to apologize. I don't want to hurt you and if you get angry don't get angry at me……okay……well……umm…… you see…… What they don't want you to know is that I……I am your sister.  
  
Please review… 


	4. Introductions

Disclaimer in Chapter 1  
  
Love Always  
  
Silence in the room was deafening. Both of them stared at one another. All of a sudden Parker reacted,  
  
"WHAT?!?" She asked, flabbergasted.  
  
"What I mean is more like half-sister. Same mother different fathers." Mandy replied somewhat timidly, afraid of Parker's initial reaction.  
  
Parker just didn't know what to say. All she could do was stare. Mandy squirmed under the intense gaze. Parker was obviously trying to see some evidence of what she said in Mandy's physical appearance.  
  
"Maybe I should start at the beginning..." Mandy stated. She would do anything just to get Parker to stop staring at her.  
  
"That would be great except that I don't think I have enough time. Broots can only loop the video feed for so long. Um, how about I come back later tonight. We can talk then." Parker said as stole a quick peek at the surveillance camera.  
  
"Okay, that sounds...okay." Mandy had a zillion thoughts running through her head.  
  
'Does she like me? Will she hate me? Why won't she say anything?'  
  
Parker new she had better leave, she needed time to collect herself and verify what Mandy had just told her.  
  
"I will be back tonight then," Parker said as she stood up. She headed toward the door, and only stopped when Mandy spoke.  
  
"I know you are going to look for something to verify what I have just told you. Most of my information is in a file called Project Excellence. Just know that I ... I... never mind, I'll just see you later."  
  
With that said Mandy lay back down on the bed and closed her eyes.  
  
Parker looked at her for a few more seconds then turned around and left, leaving the first aide kit behind. 


End file.
